Better Together
by Miss Peg
Summary: It's summer, Naomi is home from university, Emily is home from six months travelling. Naomi and Emily meet again after their painful break up the year before. / Naomily, fluff and a major heat wave!
1. Until We Meet Again

**Disclaimer****: I don't own Skins. Right now I'm not sure I'd even want to.**

**Author Note****: I wrote most of this a while ago, completely forgot about it until I was walking past Mothercare and Dougal came to mind. Enjoy, it's almost certainly going to be a fluffy fic!**

**I am now back to being unemployed, so my new job is writing fanfiction. Hope you guys don't mind! :-P**

**Better Together: Until We Meet Again**

'Nappies?' Gina asked, waiting whilst Naomi searched through the bag, resting it on the kitchen table in order to reach into the very bottom.

'Yeah.'

'Expressed milk?'

'These bottles full of yellow crap?' Naomi checked, her nose wrinkled up in repulsion. 'Yeah.'

Thinking about milk was fine, but knowing the bottles of it had actually come from her mother's body made her feel a little sick. More so at Christmas when she'd seen her mum breastfeeding and had learnt that, she too, had once fed in that way. It probably wouldn't have been as big of a deal, if she hadn't recently had sex with a girl who seemed obsessed with her breasts. Naomi remembered actually sympathising with her mother over her painful nipples, having felt the same way just days before.

'Dummies?'

'Three of them,' she scoffed. 'Why do you need three?'

'One for him to suck on, one for if he drops it on the floor and another one in case we lose the second.'

'Too much thinking mother,' Naomi muttered. 'Do you ever actually think of anything other than the baby anymore?'

Gina ignored her, continued down her list, listening to every moan, groan and comment that came out of Naomi's mouth. If she didn't love her so much, she probably would have been very happy to have her wait in the car like Kieran usually did.

Naomi raised an eyebrow, 'Is that everything?'

'Not quite. Your maternal side?' Gina asked with a cheeky grin.

Naomi rolled her eyes, didn't give her mother the satisfaction of a response. 'Baby?' she asked, slinging the bag over the pram handles.

'Check,' came Kieran's voice from the doorway.

'Why are we going to the park?' Naomi questioned, rearranging the bag straps until they were neatly in place. She might have complained, but really she was enjoying the company. It had been nice returning home, being fussed over by her hormonal mother and being forced to spend every waking hour with her, in the two days since she got back.

'Because we've barely seen you in ten months.'

'It's not my fault you didn't want to come visit,' Naomi informed her. 'I'm not the one on a permanent holiday.'

'I think you'll find it's called maternity leave and it ends next month when Dougal starts nursery.'

'How old is he now?' Naomi muttered, leaning down to tickle the little boy's tummy after Kieran placed him in the pram. He was tiny. Granted, not as tiny as he once was. But still very small. It amazed her how something so little could make as much noise, or as many smells as her little brother.

'Five months and six days,' Kieran recited, proudly.

'Seven days today Key,' Gina corrected with a smirk. He tried, which was something she loved about Kieran. He wasn't a natural parent yet somehow managed to handle it all well.

'How am I ever gonna keep up with the little bugger if he just keeps getting older?'

'Typical dad aren't you Kieran?' Naomi mocked.

'Don't you start, your mother's always on at me to 'be more involved'. I already clean up his shit and let him throw up on my clothes. How much more involved can I be?'

'Can we just go? I said I'd see Cook at three.'

'How is James?'

Naomi shrugged her shoulders. 'I don't know, I've not seen him for a few months. He's just been released though.' She realised she should have known, he was her only friend outside of uni and the one person she'd actually kept in contact with in the year since college ended. It was easier with him being in jail. He often wrote letters about his boredom, the A levels he'd been studying and the troubles he'd come across with his fellow prisoners. He actually sounded happier than she'd ever seen him.

'About time, I can't believe they gave him eighteen months.'

'It's his own fault,' Naomi sighed, remembering the day he told her he was going to take the wrap for Sophia. She'd stayed strong, told him she was thankful. But really she felt guilty, guilty that he was going to go down for something she had done. She was surprised he even wanted to stay friends when the first letter arrived. 'He'd have been released long before now if he didn't get involved in that riot.'

'Why don't you ask him to join us? He's more than welcome.'

'Yes, please do' Kieran mumbled. 'I've been surrounded by women for far too long.'

'Don't worry Kieran, when Dougal's older and I have my own place, you boys will outnumber mum.'

'Just so long as we don't end up with anymore,' Kieran raised an eyebrow. Naomi noticed the tone in his voice, the look on her mother's face as the two of them stared each other down.

'What's going on?'

'Nothing love,' Gina assured her, pushing her list into her bag and sliding her jacket around her shoulders.

Kieran let out a laugh. 'You lie woman. Naomi, your mother wants us to have another one. Tell her she's crazy.'

'What? Already? You _are _crazy.'

'I know how lonely you were growing up Naomi. I don't want Dougal to end up like that.'

'Learning from your mistakes? Thanks mum.'

'It's not like that,' Gina notified. 'I always wanted more children, just never found the right man. Now I have Kieran and Dougal, I feel like we're not yet complete.'

'She wants a girl.'

'I don't _want_ a girl,' she snapped. 'I just think that Dougal would grow up better with a little brother or sister to fuss over.'

'Or hate,' Naomi added.

'No child of mine will hate their sibling.'

The idealistic view wasn't that unfamiliar to Naomi. She'd seen it time and again with anything her mum took up. When she tried her hand at martial arts, she wanted to be the best despite having terrible co-ordination. Before Kieran came into her life, she'd been dumped by three men who all said her expectations were a little bit too high. Gina was a dreamer and liked to believe the best in people unless proven wrong. It always gave Naomi hope even if it did infuriate her as well.

'No, but a child of Kieran's might, mum,' Naomi reminded her, unable to hold her realistic tongue.

'She's right, you know, I don't get along with either of my brothers.'

Gina rested a hand on her hip. 'I knew there was a reason why I liked you being at university, Naomi.'

'Because you're proud and happy with all that I've achieved?'

'No, because even though Kieran isn't your dad, he might as well be. The two of you, I swear you collude with each other on purpose.'

With one hand on the baby's pram and the other clutching her bag, Gina forced them to move, finally leaving the house and putting their days plan into action.

'Yeah right, mum,' Naomi moaned after her. 'As if Kieran could ever be bothered to do that.'

*

"Alright Naomikins, how's my pussy lover?" Cook grinned, wrapping an arm around Naomi's shoulder, nodding a greeting to Gina and Kieran. 'Alright?'

'You must be James?' Gina asked, holding out a hand.

'Err, yeah,' he replied, staring at her hand before taking it. 'You've gotta be Gina, I can see where Naomi gets her good looks from. You ever after a younger man, you just give us a call!'

'Excuse me Mr Cook,' Kieran cleared his throat. 'That's my soon to be wife you're talking to.'

'Kieran! How's it going mate?'

'Could be better, if young Lothario's aren't trying to chat up my woman.'

'Don't be such a cock, Cook. Can we please go find somewhere to sit? This place is already too busy,' Naomi complained, pushing the pram across the grass towards a picnic table.

'My anti-social daughter really hasn't learnt much from university, has she?'

Cook reached a hand around Gina's shoulder whilst they followed Naomi across the grass. 'Just you wait Gina love, she's been Cookie-less for a year now. Think she needs someone to bring her out of her shell a bit, know what I'm saying?'

'Yes, well, thank you James.'

'So what do we do?' Naomi sighed once everyone was sat around the table.

Gina tilted her head, resting a hand into the pram to settle Dougal, who fussed beside her. 'What do we do when?'

'Well, we're at the park. What do we do here?'

'I can think of a few things I'd like to do here,' Cook groaned, his head following a group of girls who walked past the table.

Twelve months in the slammer did nothing for his appetite. The rumours of men roughing him up for their sexual pleasure were unfounded and though he'd never wanted to shag a bloke, he was a little disappointed that there weren't more opportunities to make himself feel better.

'Put that away James,' Naomi mocked, pushing his mouth closed.

'What? Can't blame me, I ain't had a poke in ages. You wouldn't be up for a quickie, would you?'

Naomi rolled her eyes, remembered the last time something had nearly happened between them. Things were different now, she wasn't in love with someone anymore and actually found herself feeling relatively lonely.

'Hang around a little longer and we'll see,' she muttered, letting the same group of girls catch her attention as they settled down on the grass nearby.

'Please, not in front of the baby,' Gina requested, pulling him into her arms and rocking him gently.

'Sorry Gina, who's the little scrapper?'

'Dougal.'

*

'She said she wanted cotton napkins.'

'But the hotel don't have cotton napkins, so to buy some would cost more than her budget will allow.'

'I promised her cotton.'

'You can't promise the client things like that Katie, how many times do I have to say that before you'll listen?'

'I know mum, but this is Gina Campbell we're talking about. She's very weird and particular.'

'I can't keep doing your work Katie, I have my own client's wedding to plan. You're competent, now figure it out or get a new job.'

'Oh, thanks mum, yeah? Really nice of you to say that. I don't want another job. You're the boss, I was asking for your help. That's all.'

'Well,' Jenna began, before her eyes fell upon a red haired girl sat on the sofa, a pile of bags beside her. 'Emily?'

'Hey, I'm home.'

Breathing was her priority the second her mother's arms came around her body. She didn't expect it, wasn't sure she even wanted it. Yet there wasn't a lot she could do. Emily gave up, allowed Jenna to squeeze her as much as she liked, even settled her hand on her mum's back to steady herself. Then Katie appeared behind her, sandwiching her into a Fitch hug like she'd never seen before.

'Missed you,' Katie whispered into her ear, a small offering she took gratefully before ducking down and away from their prison.

'I'm warn out and hungry, what do we have in?'

'Forget about food Ems,' Katie demanded. 'How was the flight? How was Brazil? Why didn't you go to Mexico like you always wanted? What were the boys like? Come on, tell me everything.'

Katie's enthusiasm made Emily realise exactly why she'd missed her back. Sure they could argue and fight like they hated each other. But deep down they got along, they cared about each other and it just wasn't the same spending six months without seeing her once. Katie forced her to sit down on the sofa, their mother leaving the room muttering something about tea and crumpets.

'Where's dad and James?'

Pressing her lips together silently seemed the only appropriate response. Katie tried her best to smile, to appear like everything was fine, despite knowing it wasn't.

'What's going on?' Emily asked, zeroing in on the pained expression and tension that had clouded her return from travelling.

'James is at Gordon's, he'll be back after dinner,' Katie finally replied, turning to Jenna as she carried in a tray housing their tea set.

'Herbal or normal?' Jenna asked, holding up a box of each.

'Mum, where's dad?' Emily asked, realising how hard it would be to get an answer from her sister.

'Oh,' Jenna gasped, staring down at the teapot in her hands. 'He, well, he's,'

'He's gone Emily,' Katie spoke up, hating how upset their mum seemed to get whenever the subject came up.

'Gone? Where?'

'After you left, mum kicked him out. He moved to Liverpool to stay with Uncle Kev.'

With her legs taking control, Emily stood up, glaring at her family with every inch of anger she could muster. 'You lied to me? After everything that happened last year, you lied to me too? How could you not tell me he wasn't here anymore? Why didn't he?'

'Emily, sit down.'

'No, I won't fucking sit down. Why do you keep doing this to me?' she gasped, the lack of sleep and latest bout of homesickness sending waves of tears from her eyes. She longed to be comforted by the one Fitch who wasn't there.

'We didn't want to ruin your plans Emily,' Katie informed her. 'You seemed so excited to go. We wanted you to be happy.'

'So you wait until I'm at my happiest to tell me? I was walking on air this morning, why did you have to do that?'

Picking up her smallest bag and jacket, Emily stole a couple of biscuits off the tray and headed for the door. Only stopping when Katie's tiny voiced asked where she was going.

'Out. Need some fucking air.'

No one argued when Emily closed the front door behind her. She walked down the street away from the house, wandered along the main road until she reached her old sanctuary. A path ran across the park beside the lake, trees all shades of green as the summer sun shone down upon them. She felt a sense of comfort, of ease settling her frustration. She was on the verge of collapsing with need for sleep, but had to keep going. The park was busier than she expected. Finding a quiet corner away from the children running around, she perched against a tree, pulled out a book she found in her bag and started to read.

'Emily Fucking Fitch!' a voice disrupted the train of story mid-sentence, causing Emily to look up with enthusiasm.

'Cook.'

'The one and only, if you don't include my dick of a dad.'

Jumping to her feet, Emily wrapped her arms around his shoulders, squeezing that little bit tighter until she felt the greeting had been suitable met. It had been over a year after all.

'How's it going my other favourite pussy lover?'

Emily tensed up at the mention of Naomi. She forged a smile onto her face, informed him of her return and started up a general conversation.

'What's taking you so long you cock?'

_Naomi. _Emily turned in time to spot the blonde rushing towards Cook with a baby bottle in her hand. She stopped abruptly after locking eyes with Emily. Cook stood between them, rolling his eyes at the now tense situation.

'Ah, I assume you two have met,' Cook joked. 'How about we start from the beginning? Ems, this is Naomikins, Naomikins, this is Ems. Let's play nice.'

'Haven't got time Cook, Dougal needs a bottle or we'll get kicked out for noise pollution.'

Cook nodded, turned away from Emily. 'The café says we can warm it up in there, should have taken it with me really.'

'That's why I came after you.'

The exchange of conversation was easy when it was just Cook, but under the watchful eye of Emily Fitch, Naomi felt uncomfortable. She handed Cook the bottle, watched him mutter a farewell to Emily as he walked away. She stayed where she was stood, training her eyes away from Emily, unsure what to do next. Walking away without saying something was an option, but even with their previous parting, it was a little rude. The decision was taken out of her hands.

'Who's Dougal?' Emily asked, her mind wandering in a direction she didn't think it would ever go. She doubted the possibility, but something made her wonder if Naomi had spent the majority of her year being pregnant. The worst thought was that Cook could be the father.

'Mum and Kieran had a baby,' Naomi muttered.

She was relieved. She had no right to have an opinion really, but Emily was glad. A year apart didn't stop her from considering Naomi her own, no matter how badly it had ended. 'Oh right.'

'I should go,' Naomi sighed, holding a hand up to Emily as goodbye.

As she walked away, Emily wondered what exactly had happened. It was a long time since they'd last said anything to one another and now they were exchanging pleasantries like nothing had ever happened? She didn't feel much like reading anymore. Throwing her book into her bag and putting it over her shoulder, Emily continued her walk around the park. When she was sure she was alone again, she perched on a bench, stared out across the lake and enjoyed the beautiful sun shining down on the day.

**Chapter Two coming soon. Please review.**


	2. How to forget the past, or not

**Disclaimer****: I don't own Skins. Right now I'm not sure I'd even want to.**

**Author Note****: So, those of your who voted in my poll will have noticed that this was the winner. I'm really glad this story was the winner because it's the one I have most freedom with, having only been one chapter long. I hope you'll all enjoy what I came up with, especially the ten of you who chose for it to be updated! Thanks for voting.**

**Better Together**

**Chapter Two**

The Fishpond Tavern was as empty as Naomi remembered it being. Two old men sat in the corner sneering at a young woman stood at the bar, her male friend's hand resting around her hips. She was fairly attractive and as she walked towards a table she seemed to glide, her long, tanned legs obvious under her tiny dress.

'Give me an egg and let me fertilise it because I think I found myself a baby momma,' Cook said, his eyes almost popping out of his head as he stared at her. Naomi smacked his arm. 'What? You were staring too.'

'She's attractive,' said Naomi. 'Doesn't mean she's a piece of meat.'

'You fucking loved watching her walk and you know it.'

'Fuck off Cook.'

They returned to a comfortable silence in which they drank their pints and watched the attractive woman cross her legs, flirting outrageously with her date. As the evening went on the woman appeared to grow more and more bored until the man left.

'This is my chance,' said Cook, standing up and flexing his muscles. 'How'd I look Naomikins?'

'Like a fucking dick.' She rolled her eyes and finished off her drink. 'Another?'

'Get 'em in Naomes, I'm going to get me some meat.'

She walked across the room towards the bar, carefully watching as Cook approached the woman. She looked sad. Cook placed his hand on her knee and she seemed to smile. Naomi shook her head and ordered their drinks. A few minutes later she returned to the table as Cook and the woman disappeared into the back room, his hand sliding lower as they walked. Naomi raised an eyebrow and sunk her pint before starting on Cook's.

'Time to go babes.'

Cook appeared at the table just as Naomi was about to nod off, that damn baby woke her up too early. She longed for a good night's sleep but her night out with Cook was more important. She put her jacket back on and followed Cook towards the door. He pushed her roughly.

'What's the fucking rush?'

'Boyfriend came back,' he said. 'Let's go before I smashed that tosser's face in.'

They left the pub and walked along the quiet street. Any other pub and there'd be people enjoying the good weather, stood outside drinking and smoking their lives away. Not there, the slimy dive. She didn't even know why she went, except for Cook. He handed her a cigarette and a lighter. She rested the cigarette in her mouth before exhaling. She'd not smoked much at uni, was always too busy doing everything else and the moment she came home Gina sent her into the garden with Kieran for her nicotine top ups. But smoking with Cook was normal, like an old friend she hadn't realised she'd missed, until it returned.

'Where to now baby cakes?' asked Cook.

'H2O?'

'Let's go get some oxygen baby,' he marched onwards down the street so fast that Naomi had to jog to catch up.

'Oxygen?'

'You know, H20, oxygen.'

Naomi doubled over laughing, she didn't care that he was staring at her like she'd just eaten a dogs bollock, she laughed until her stomach couldn't handle it anymore.

'What's so fucking funny Naomikins?'

'H20 is water.'

'Then what the fuck is Oxygen?'

'O2.'

'That fucking dome place in London?'

'The very same.'

'Fuck that Naomikins; let's go to the water place.'

xxx

Emily stood in the doorway to the club with apprehension. The last time she'd been in that club she'd had an argument with Naomi which ruined the entire evening. Every memory she didn't want to consider came flooding back, hitting her hard in the chest until she had to focus a little harder on breathing. The memories themselves weren't the problem; it was what she did now. The relationship breakdown had been slow and steady, something which neither of them saw happening and though she didn't hate Naomi for what happened, she didn't want reminding of the worst times either.

'Hurry up Ems,' said Katie a few feet in front of her.

'I don't know why I even came,' said Emily, following Katie towards the bar.

'You came to keep me company whilst I find a nice boy to fuck me like it's 1999.'

Emily rolled her eyes and leant against the bar. She hadn't forgiven her, far from it, she was still pissed off and that wouldn't change for a long time. The only reason she was even there was to get drunk and think about nothing, especially not her parents' marriage breakdown or her sister's betrayal. Except that being around Katie made her think of nothing less.

She leant forwards and shouted into the barman's ear, 'I'll have four shots of Vodka.' He placed the shots on a small tray and handed them over. They wouldn't be going that far. With a smirk she rested the tray on the bar and downed each shot individually right in front of him. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

'Come dance,' Katie shouted and pulled her into the middle of the dance floor.

Dancing, okay, she could handle dancing. She didn't really need to think about her family whilst doing that, she could pretend that Katie wasn't there, dance with her back to her. That would work. A couple of guys edged across the dance floor and separated, one heading for Katie whilst the other danced with Emily. She allowed him to grind his body against her. The Vodka had gone straight to her head and no matter how much she wanted to pushed his slimy hands off her body, she just wanted to forget. So she moved beside him until he pulled her close and thrust his tongue rudely down her throat.

'Fucking cock,' she shouted slapping him across the face and marching off through the crowd. She turned and watched him searching for her with a victorious smirk. The only problem was she wasn't looking where she was going and collided with something hard, someone's back. 'Oops, sorry.'

'You fucking will be,' said the man, turning around. Then her eyes met his and slipped across to the blonde stood beside him, where her eyes seemed intent on going no matter how much she didn't want them to. 'Emilio!'

'Hi Cook,' she said, gritting her teeth and greeting Naomi too.

'Didn't think we'd be seeing you again, did we Naomikins?' Naomi shook her head. 'You gonna make a habit of this Emilio? Should the Cookie Monster get his cock ready for you?'

'Fuck off.'

'Harsh.'

'I've just had some arseholes tongue down my throat; excuse me if I'm not in the fucking mood.'

Naomi and Cook stared at her like she'd grown a second head. She let out a sigh, took Cook's drink and finished it off, much to his complaints.

'Keep your knickers on I'll buy you another.'

'I can think of another way you can repay me,' he leered.

'Still gay Cook'' 

'You let JJ bone you.' 

'That was different.' 

'How?' 

'That was charity.' 

'Cookie hasn't had sex in months,' he said, pouting. He looked a little sad, but she wasn't born yesterday. He'd try anything to get her into bed. 'I'm a fucking charity case babe.'

'You had sex an hour ago,' said Naomi

'First time in months though and she was fucking shit man. I can imagine you're a little like your sister Emilio, Freds said she was a cocksucking mantertainer, perfecto.'

The last thing she wanted to know was what her sister was like in bed. Instead she curled her lips into a smile and leant close to him. He moved in closer, his hand snaking along her back. She ignored it for a moment, just held her body against his until he started grinding alongside her. He really was a man-whore.

She spoke in a hushed tone, her voice already husky from shouting. 'I can do things with my tongue than Katie doesn't understand. Naomi didn't even understand it at first. But you Cook will never _ever_ get to see it. Understand?' She pushed him back and smirked at Naomi who had caught the laughing bug.

'You fucking tease,' he complained, rearranging the front of his trousers.

'You're in a club Cook, how many of these girls will be up for it in a couple of hours? She's hot.' Emily pointed across the dance floor towards a small group of women dancing together. 'Bet she'd suck your cock if you bought her a drink.'

Cook's whistling somehow made it across the music. 'Smokin' babe, fucking smokin'. Stand well back cause Cookie might have got one hook line and sinker.'

He disappeared through the crowds, smelling his armpits as he went. Emily laughed. Some things never change. Then she turned to Naomi who stayed beside her with a smile on her lips; a smile that still had the power to leave her feeling a little pathetic. She smiled weakly in return.

'How are you?' said Naomi.

'I'm okay,' she replied. 'How are you?'

'Good.'

'That's good.'

'Yeah.'

Running back through the crowd Cook was quick to rejoin them, much to Emily's relief. The whole thing was awkward and she didn't intend it to continue. She'd come out to get drunk and forget about her problems, not have them thrown back in her face.

'She was like a hungry tiger who wanted a deer not a Cookie Monster,' he informed them, as though they actually cared.

'I'm going to find Katie,' said Emily, taking it as her cue to walk away from Naomi.

'Wait a minute,' he shouted after her.

'What?'

'Cookie Monster calls upon all his friends for a night of Fishpond Taverning from seven on Monday, be there or be fucking square Emilio, bring Katiekins.'

She nodded then turned and pushed her way through the crowd.

xxx

Across the club Emily found Katie with her tongue down somebody's throat. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot in the hope that Katie would eventually notice that someone was watching. Eventually she gave up waiting and reached out to the ginger man's shoulder.

'Fuck off,' he said into Katie's mouth. She tried again but he only batted her away with his hand.

She walked back across the club towards the bar where she ordered a drink and wallowed in her mood. She had gone there with the intention of feeling happy, not having her good mood ruined by a few unfortunate incidents. A couple of voices argued behind her. _Fucking fantastic, just as things couldn't get any worse._

'Get your fucking hands off me you cocksucker.'

Emily turned around at the sound of commotion behind her, she half expected a couple of people to be fighting, that was usually what caused problems on a night out. The last thing she had expected was a security guard to be holding her little brother by the scruff of his neck. He wriggled around under his grasp.

'Get off. I'll call my fucking manager you tosser.'

'Don't you mean your mum?' the security guard laughed.

'No need,' said Emily abandoning her drink at the bar. She marched over with her best parental-style face on and informed the man of her relationship with the little idiot not so fondly known as James.

'If I see him here again I'll be calling the police.'

'It won't happen again,' Emily assured him as she replaced the man's grip on James' shirt. He squirmed about trying to get away but she squeezed tighter until he was almost crying.

When the club doors slammed closed behind them Emily watched in awe as her little brother started a tirade of swearing, his hands and mouth equally rude. She slapped him across the head and he sunk to the pavement.

'What the fuck are you playing at?' she shouted, her voice reaching a level she didn't expect it to. She cringed at the similarity, which she had never before noticed, with her mother.

'Fuck off Emsy, what do you fucking care?' he asked, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his jumper.

'This isn't about whether I care or not, this is about you being a complete fucking imbecile. What makes you think you can get away with coming to a club? You're thirteen for fuck's sake.'

'Gordon's been coming all year,' he shouted back, but as the words fell from his lips they were drowned out by sniffling.

'Gordon is fifteen, he looks twenty two. _You_ look ten.'

He stood up and started walking down the street, his shoulders hunched over like a former human in the evolution from monkey to man. Emily ran to catch up. He looked sad. She'd never seen him so upset, except when Jenna had shouted at him for downloading porn.

'Come on, let's go home,' she smiled, resting an arm around his shoulder.

He shrugged it off and hurried his pace. 'Leave me alone.'

'Fine,' she shouted after him, keeping a few paces back. 'But we're going straight home, so don't try anything.'

'No point now,' he mumbled.

**Please review! :)**


	3. Living in Shadows

**Disclaimer****: I don't own Skins. That might be a good thing.**

**Author Note****: **Sorry for the delay in finishing this chapter, I've had most of it done for a few days I've just been having a tough time lately and had little motivation to do, well, anything. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Thank you to** mUfF MuNcHeR, vaskon, stabilo, hamonrye **and **fookyeahskins **for the reviews, I really appreciate it.

**Better Together**

**Chapter Three**

Naomi rolled over groaning as she kicked off the covers and squeezed her eyes tightly shut. She refused to be awake. The only light sneaking into the room came from the lamppost down the street yet it seemed to aim directly for her face. Eventually, after another indefinable amount of time tossing around in bed, she threw back the covers took her pillow and placed it where her feet previously were. She tried to sleep again, unsuccessfully. The problem was the same and she doubted it would change with anything she could attempt.

'Christ's sake, Emily,' she shouted through gritted teeth. The hot summer night made it all ten times worse. She closed her eyes again where she gave up the battle and watched Emily lay naked in her bed. She slept soundly with her mouth parted ever so slightly and her right hand cupped one of breasts as her other rested on her thigh. Naomi remembered that moment from before they broke up where she had sat awake staring down at Emily desperately wishing she would wake up. Her body burned in the same way it had that night, under the intense heat surrounding them. Only this time it was caused by the heat wave and not Emily. She coughed in her sleep, moaned a little and rocked her hips. Naomi had bitten her lip because she had no other way of controlling herself.

'Naomi,' Emily moaned.

On the other side of her bedroom door the baby started crying and after a distant 'fucking babies' someone got up to see to him. Naomi let out another groan and climbed out of bed. The hot, humid air did nothing to quench the fire returning to the pit of her stomach. She retrieved a pair of shorts and a t-shirt which she slipped into on her way out of the bedroom door. She wasn't going to sleep that night; she had to admit defeat eventually.

Instead she marched downstairs, unlocked the front door and ran off down the street into the cooler night air; though not much cooler, to Naomi's disappointment.

She didn't stop moving for nearly an hour, walking across town with only herself for company. Until she came upon the small house that Emily's family rented. Why she went there she didn't know because every memory she had of being with Emily in and around that house filled her mind. The last time they'd found a darkened corner in the yard after a night out and covered each other's mouths so that their screams weren't heard. The excitement of potentially being caught made it all the more exciting.

The street lit up like her own street and she stood under a lamppost and watched the house carefully. Nothing had changed. Emily probably still shared the bedroom at the front whilst her parents would be in the one at the back and James had a tiny extended loft room which smelled like teenage boy.

What was she doing there? She didn't really know. There were very few reasons she would have to go to Emily's house let alone in the middle of the night. Once upon a time she might have rung her and asked her to come out. Or Emily might have sneaked her up if Katie wasn't home. They weren't together now, hadn't been in months and yet she came back to this very spot outside like a moth to a flame.

She missed Emily. She missed the feel of her fingers running across her skin, the smell of her hair, the shape of her lips underneath her own. Who was she fucking kidding? She was there for Emily even though she wouldn't ring her, she wouldn't throw stones at the window, she wouldn't beg her for a fuck in the garden. She stood there like a shadow of her former self wondering what the fuck she was playing at. Time had moved on, they'd both lived separate lives and yet no matter how hard Naomi tried to push her out of her mind, she was there at the forefront every single fucking time.

The situation would have been fine had she not bumped into her in the park. Before then she thought of her as often as she remembered she had grandparents who she saw once a year. She was a distant memory which she liked to think about but was more than happy to forget again. Then she had shown up, in front of her, and she hadn't even been able to share a fucking normal conversation with her. This standing outside her house was fucked up and yet she didn't move.

'What the fuck are you doing here?'

Naomi turned around at the sound of the voice; her heart leapt into her throat and then settled back down. _Katie_. Not Emily, just Katie. She stared at her and Katie stared back, neither one speaking until one of them broke their gaze. Eventually Katie rolled her eyes and Naomi smiled at her, victorious.

'I asked you what the fuck you're doing here,' she repeated.

'Standing,' said Naomi, folding her arms across her chest.

'I can see that, but why are you standing outside my fucking house? This is well fucked up. Are you waiting for Emily? She's moved on you twat.'

Naomi's smile faded and she stared at Katie again. 'Moved on?'

'She's been fucking girls all over the world while you've been in London pining over her, so go home and fuck yourself or something, yeah? 'Cause you're never going to be fucking my sister again. Got it?'

Naomi nodded briefly then in her head, cursed herself for giving in so quickly. What had happened to her? She was a sarcastic bitch when she wanted to be, why hadn't she ended the conversation with something witty? Instead, Katie was closing the front door and leaving her there alone in the street.

What was she still doing there?

Eventually she gave up her vigil and walked back down the street towards town. Maybe by the time she got back Dougal would be awake and Gina or Kieran would take him out, then she could get some sleep. Not that Dougal was the problem, but she wouldn't admit that. Not yet anyway.

xxx

In the morning Emily woke to the sound of her mother shouting downstairs. When she listened harder, stood with the bedroom door ajar and her ear to the gap, she discovered a conversation with her dad. Her parent's relationship was fine before she left; then again they'd had financial problems for months before that. Perhaps she'd been living in ignorant bliss, hoping that whatever was going on at the time was a figment of her paranoid imagination.

'What's going on?' Katie sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes.

'No idea,' said Emily with little interest in easing Katie's own worries. Assuming she had any. How her own twin sister could know their parents had separated and didn't tell her led her to believe they really were very different people.

'Is dad on the phone?' Katie asked, her eyes turned down in sorrow and though Emily felt the same as it appeared Katie did, she couldn't bring herself to comfort her.

'I don't have a fucking clue,' she snapped, retrieving a towel off the bedroom floor and leaving the room. She needed some space as she'd needed near enough every minute since arriving home. The flight back she had thought of all the wonderful moments at home; telling her family everything about her travels, sharing photographs and presents. She knew her dad would be most interested out of any of them. Now she felt her mood drop considerably with the prospect of facing the future alone with no one to talk to about anything. She didn't even know Rob's new number. She opened the bathroom door where James squealed like a pig and covered himself with a towel. She slammed it shut behind her and returned to the bedroom, much to Katie's approval. She started talking but Emily barely listened. Instead she opened drawers and gathered together a pile of clothes which she pushed into a bag before running off down the stairs.

'Emily, is that you?' Jenna shouted from the lounge. Emily rolled her eyes, the very gentle nature of her mother's voice made her want to cry. She unlatched the front door and before Jenna could expect a response she slammed it shut behind her.

A man walked past the house with his dog, a frown upon his face as she set off walking down the street. She was in a pair of pyjama bottoms and a vest top; she originally had no intention of leaving the house dressed like that. There were simply too many emotions battling with her attention that she didn't want to be there anymore, if she wanted to maintain her sanity, she couldn't be there.

Finally, Emily walked down a street with houses in rows on either side like soldiers on opposing sides awaiting command to start battle. She looked for the one familiar house on the street and knocked.

'Emily?' said JJ, his eyes landing on her pyjamas as soon as he opened the door.

'Morning Jay,' she smiled. If she acted as normal as possible and pretended that it was commonplace to arrive at your friends half dressed, then maybe it'd be okay.

'You're in pyjamas,' he noted. Of course the major flaw in her plan was the person whose house she'd turned up on the doorstep of. JJ was always going to notice that fact, she would never be able to simply pretend that everything was fine.

'Yes,' she replied, her smile never faltering. If she pretended she was okay, maybe it would come true.

'Come in, mum's just made some brunch if you're hungry. Do you want to stay in your pyjamas or would you like some clothes? I don't know what size you are and mum is probably two or three sizes bigger considering her height and the fact she's ever so slightly overweight. But I'm sure she has something she always wished she could get into had she lost any weight, which she never manages to do.'

Emily placed a hand on JJ's shoulder and he stopped talking. He tried, that mattered more than anything. 'I've brought some clothes with me.'

'You know where the bathroom is.'

'Thanks Jay,' she smiled and kissed him lightly on the cheek. He closed the door and she ran up the stairs to get changed. After battling with her clothes she pulled her hair up into a bobble and left the comfort of the locked bathroom. Part of her wished she could live in there, just to get away from everything.

xxx

After breakfast JJ's mum drove them into town and left them with a twenty pound note whilst she disappeared off to Debenhams. As JJ told Emily, she would be there for hours and so they should probably find something of their own to do. She didn't really care, if she was honest, because short of having no money, she had little interesting in everything around her. All she could think about was her dad and how desperately she wished she was up in Liverpool with him.

'Are you going to Cook's get together?' JJ asked as they wandered aimlessly along the high street. She nodded her head, more to prompt a change of subject than to respond to JJ's question. She was yet to decide if she had the energy to spend a night in the company of her friendship group. She hadn't spoken to any of them in months, aside from the odd postcard to JJ and the phone calls home.

'Let's get a drink,' she said, tugging JJ's arm towards the nearest coffee shop. She pushed the door open and in as quick a motion as she'd moved forwards, she stepped backwards again, pushing JJ back out of the café and along the street until she dragged him into a small back alleyway.

'What was that?' he asked, simply confused by her actions. Even he appeared lost for words.

'Naomi,' she said, leaning against the stone wall and letting out a number of quick consecutive breaths.

'And you don't want to see her?'

'No.'

'Why not? You'll be seeing her when we go to Cook's thing and then you won't be able to hide down alleys because, quite frankly, that would be rather dangerous.'

She reached out and touched him on the forearm, he smiled, thankful, and went silent for a moment. Though he watched her, waiting for her to speak or do something. She was hardly acting like a normal human being after all.

'I can't face her right now,' she whispered, wiping a few stray tears from her cheeks.

'It's been months since you last saw each other, it's only to be expected that the whole thing would be rather strange after your break up. Why was that by the way? Nobody has any idea what even happened between the two of you, except that you were together and now you're not.'

'JJ,' she snapped, covering her tearstained cheeks. 'I don't want to talk about _her_; I don't want to talk about _anything_.'

'Are you sure? I can't be too sure because of my lack of social skills but it appears that perhaps you do want to talk about her and something else, but in actual fact you're too afraid.'

'Yes.' Emily nodded her head. 'I'm too fucking afraid, okay? But I don't want to deal with it now.'

'Mum says that sometimes, so we usually leave her alone and she eats chocolate and ice cream whilst watching a soppy film. Would you like to go watch a soppy film?'

'No.'

'Would you like to eat chocolate and ice cream?'

'Not really.'

'What would you like to do?'

'Go to Liverpool.'

'Ah.' JJ took the money out of his pocket and scratched his head. 'I'm not sure I have enough money for that.'

'It's okay Jay.' She reached out and held onto his arm again. 'I don't expect you to pay for me to go to Liverpool. How about we go and get a drink?'

'But Naomi's in the café.'

'You go and check and if she's gone we can go in, if she's there we'll go somewhere else. Sound good?'

'Okay.'

**Please review! :)**


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